The Scio Pottery Company was founded in 1932. The plant had been built in Scio in 1920 as an additional production plant by Albright of Carrollton, Ohio. The Albright of Carrollton operation was closed in 1927. Lew Reese visited Scio in 1932 and looked over the abandoned plant. The property was purchased by Reese at a sheriff´s sale for $8000. on a time payment plan. He immediately started repairs on the plant, living in a corner of the plant. By February, 1933 the Scio-Ohio Pottery Company lacked funds for a payroll, raw materials and orders. The story goes that a clay salesman got his company to advance clay and Reese himself went to Chicago and persuaded a large firm to take the first carload of cups. When the first payroll fell due, Lew Reese had a cash balance of 11 cents. Twenty townspeople put up $100 a piece and Scio began a history that spanned nearly a half century.